Eye fastener

ABSTRACT

An eye fastener ( 100, 200 ) of the present disclosure includes two anchor portions ( 102,   202 ) defining a base plane, and an eye ( 106, 206 ) extending from the anchor portions ( 102,   202 ), each eye ( 106, 206 ) defining a plane of opening which is displaced relative to the base plane. A tape ( 116, 216 ) including an array of eye fasteners ( 100, 200 ) is also disclosed.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field

This invention relates to an eye fastener, in particular such a fastenersuitable for forming an eye connector for use (but not exclusively) ingarments items.

2. Related Art

Many garment items, in particular lingerie (including brassieres),include connectors having hook and eye fasteners for providing flexiblebut firm coupling. In general, an array of hook fasteners (in rows andcolumns) is sewn onto a first tape, and a complementary array of eyefasteners is sewn into a second tape, and by engaging different hookfasteners and eye fasteners, a degree of lengthwise adjustment isallowed.

In such conventional hook and eye fasteners, both the eye fasteners andhook fasteners are typically formed of a stiff metal wire. The eyefasteners are generally C-shaped with two free ends sewn and receivedwithin the tape to form an opening, in which the plane defined by theopening of each eye fastener lies against the tape. It is found thatwhen a user seeks to engage the eye fastener with a hook fastener, onehas to slightly pivot the eye fastener away from the tape to furtherexpose the plane of opening, to facilitate engagement with the hookfastener. This is relatively difficult, in particular in the case ofbrassieres, where the hook and eye fasteners are at the back of theuser.

It is thus an object of the present invention to provide an eye fastenerand a tape including at least one such eye fastener in which the aboveshortcoming is mitigated, or at least to provide a useful alternative tothe trade and public.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is providedan eye fastener including a base defining a base plane, and at least aneye extending from the base and defining a plane of opening,characterized in that the plane of opening is displaced relative to thebase plane.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provideda tape including at least one eye fastener, the eye fastener including abase defining a base plane, and at least an eye extending from the baseand defining a plane of opening, characterized in that the plane ofopening is displaced relative to the base plane.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of eye fasteners and tapes including at least one fasteneraccording to the present invention will now be described, by way ofexamples only, with reference to the present invention, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of an eye fastener according to a firstembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the eye fastener shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the eye fastener shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an end view of the eye fastener shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 shows a row of eye fasteners shown in FIG. 1 sewn to a tape;

FIG. 6 shows two rows of eye fasteners shown in FIG. 1 sewn to the tapein FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 shows three rows of eye fasteners shown in FIG. 1 sewn to thetape in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged side sectional view of the tape shown in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 shows eye connectors formed out of the tape shown in FIG. 7;

FIG. 10 is a top perspective view of an eye fastener according to asecond embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a bottom view of the eye fastener shown in FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a side view of the eye fastener shown in FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is an end view of the eye fastener shown in FIG. 11;

FIG. 14 shows a row of eye fasteners shown in FIG. 10 sewn to a tape;

FIG. 15 shows two rows of eye fasteners shown in FIG. 10 sewn to thetape in FIG. 14;

FIG. 16 shows three rows of eye fasteners shown in FIG. 10 sewn to thetape in FIG. 15;

FIG. 17 is an enlarged side sectional view of the tape shown in FIG. 16;and

FIG. 18 shows eye connectors formed out of the tape shown in FIG. 16.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

An eye fastener according to a first embodiment of the present inventionis shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, and generally designated as 100. The eyefastener 100 is formed integrally of a wire (such as a metal wire), e.g.by bending. The eye fastener 100 has two anchor portions 102 (each beinga free end of the eye fastener 100), two parallel leg portions 104 eachextending from a respective of the anchor portions 102, and a generallyC-shaped portion 106 joining, extending from and bent relative to thetwo leg portions 104.

The anchor portions 102 form a base, defining a base plane P-P, on whichthe leg portions 104 also lie. The C-shaped portion 106, which extendsfrom the base, forms an opening (“eye”) through which a hook fastenermay be releasably engaged. It can be seen from FIG. 3 that the plane Q-Qdefined by the C-shaped portion 106 (“plane of opening”) is displacedrelative to the plane P-P defined by the anchor portions 102 and legportions 104 (“base plane”), and the two planes P-P, Q-Q are joined viabent portions 120. Although the angle a between the plane of opening Q-Qand the base plane P-P is shown in FIG. 3 as being an obtuse angle, suchmay alternatively be a right angle or an acute angle. The distance dbetween the uppermost end of the C-shaped portion 106 and the legportions 104 (and the anchor portions 102) is from 0.5 mm to 5 mm.

As shown in FIG. 5, to produce a tape with an array of eye fasteners100, a first row of eye fasteners 100 are assembled between a backingsheet 108 and a first layer of padding material 110. In particular, thefirst row of eye fasteners 100 are arranged along a straight line, withtheir anchor portions 102 fixed (e.g. by sewing) between the backingsheet 108 and the first layer of padding material 110, and with theirleg portions 104 and C-shaped portions 106 exposed to the outsideenvironment.

As shown in FIG. 6, a second row of eye fasteners 100 are assembledbetween the backing sheet 108 and a second layer of padding material112. In particular, the second row of eye fasteners 100 are arrangedalong a straight line which is parallel to the straight line along whichthe first row of eyes 100 are arranged. Again, the anchor portions 102of the second row of eye fasteners 100 are fixed between the backingsheet 108 and the second layer of padding material 112. The leg portions104 and C-shaped portions 106 of the second row of eye fasteners 100 arealso exposed to the outside environment.

Finally, as shown in FIG. 7, a third row of eye fasteners 100 areassembled between the backing sheet 108 and a third layer of paddingmaterial 114. In particular, the third row of eye fasteners 100 arearranged along a straight line which is parallel to the straight linesalong which the first and second rows of eye fasteners 100 are arranged.Again, the anchor portions 102 of the third row of eye fasteners 100 arefixed between the backing sheet 108 and the third layer of paddingmaterial 114. The leg portions 104 and C-shaped portions 106 of thethird row of eye fasteners 100 are also exposed to the outsideenvironment.

A tape 116 with three rows of eye fasteners 100 fixed thereto is thusformed. There is of course no definite restriction on the number of rowsof eye fasteners 100 which may be carried by the tape 116. Amanufacturer may decide on the number of rows of eye fasteners 100 forthe tape 116 according to the use to which eye connectors formed fromthe tape 116 are to be put.

As shown in FIG. 8, the plane of the backing sheet 108 is parallel tothe base plane P-P of the eye fasteners 100, and is displaced relativeto the plane of opening Q-Q of the eye fasteners 100.

Turning to FIG. 9, it can be seen that eye connectors 118 each with anarray of two-by-three eye fasteners 100 are formed from the tape 116.Such eye connectors 118 may be formed by cutting the continuous tape 116transversely by a cutter vibrated ultrasonically at intervals. The eyeconnectors 118 so formed may then be sewn onto semi-finished brassieresfor forming final products.

An eye fastener according to a second embodiment of the presentinvention is shown in FIGS. 10 to 13, and generally designated as 200.The eye fastener 200 is formed integrally of a wire (such as a metalwire), e.g. by bending. In particular, the eye fastener 200 has twoanchor portions 202 (each being a free end of the eye fastener 200), twoparallel leg portions 204 extending from and bent relative to the anchorportions 202, and a generally C-shaped portion 206 joining, extendingfrom and bent relative to the two leg portions 204.

The anchor portions 202 form a base, defining a base plane R-R. The legportions 204 and the C-shaped portion collectively form an opening(“eye”) through which a hook fastener may be releasably engaged. The legportions 204 define a first plane S-S and the C-shaped portion 206defines a second plane T-T. The first plane S-S and the second plane T-Tcollectively form a plane of opening. It can be seen from FIG. 12 thatthe plane S-S defined by the leg portions 204 (i.e. the first plane) isdisplaced relative to the base plane R-R, and the plane T-T defined bythe C-shaped portion 206 (i.e. the second plane) is displaced relativeto the first plane S-S and is parallel to the base plane R-R. The baseplane R-R and the first plane S-S are joined with each other via firstbent portions 220 a; and the first plane S-S and the second plane T-Tare joined with each other via second bent portions 220 b. Although theangle β between the first plane S-S and the base plane R-R is shown inFIG. 12 as being an obtuse angle, such may alternatively be a rightangle or an acute angle. The distance e between the uppermost end of theC-shaped portion 206 and the anchor portions 202 is from 0.5 mm to 5 mm.

As shown in FIG. 14, to produce a tape with an array of eye fasteners200, a first row of eye fasteners 200 are assembled between a backingsheet 208 and a first layer of padding material 210. In particular, thefirst row of eye fasteners 200 are arranged along a straight line, withtheir anchor portions 202 fixed (e.g. by sewing) between the backingsheet 208 and the first layer of padding material 210, and with theirleg portions 204 and C-shaped portions 206 exposed to the outsideenvironment.

As shown in FIG. 15, a second row of eye fasteners 200 are assembledbetween the backing sheet 208 and a second layer of padding material212. In particular, the second row of eye fasteners 200 are arrangedalong a straight line which is parallel to the straight line along whichthe first row of eyes 200 are arranged. Again, the anchor portions 202of the second row of eye fasteners 200 are fixed between the backingsheet 208 and the second layer of padding material 212. The leg portions204 and C-shaped portions 206 of the second row of eye fasteners 200 arealso exposed to the outside environment.

Finally, as shown in FIG. 16, a third row of eye fasteners 200 areassembled between the backing sheet 208 and a third layer of paddingmaterial 214. In particular, the third row of eye fasteners 200 arearranged along a straight line which is parallel to the straight linesalong which the first and second rows of eye fasteners 200 are arranged.Again, the anchor portions 202 of the third row of eye fasteners 200 arefixed between the backing sheet 208 and the third layer of paddingmaterial 214. The leg portions 204 and C-shaped portions 206 of thethird row of eye fasteners 200 are also exposed to the outsideenvironment.

A tape 216 with three rows of eye fasteners 200 fixed thereto is thusformed. It should of course be understood that a manufacturer may decideon the number of rows of eye fasteners 200 for the tape 216 according tothe use to which eye connectors formed from the tape 216 are to be put.

As shown in FIG. 17, the plane of the backing sheet 208 is:

-   parallel to the base plane R-R of each eye fastener 200,-   displaced relative to the first plane S-S of the plane of opening as    defined by the leg portions 204 of each eye fastener 200, and-   parallel to the second plane T-T of the plane of opening as defined    by the C-shaped portion 206 of each eye fastener 200.

Turning to FIG. 18, it can be seen that eye connectors 218 each with anarray of two-by-three eye fasteners 200 are formed from the tape 216.Such eye connectors 218 may be formed by cutting the continuous tape 216transversely by a cutter vibrated ultrasonically at intervals. The eyeconnectors 218 so formed may then be sewn onto semi-finished brassieresfor forming final products.

It can be seen from the foregoing discussion and the accompanyingdrawings that as the plane of opening of the respective eye fasteners100, 200 according to this invention is displaced relative to therespective base plane P-P, R-R (which lie against the respective backingsheet 108, 208), such allows easy engagement between eye connectors 118,218 and complementary hook connectors.

It should be understood that the above only illustrates examples wherebythe present invention may be carried out, and that various modificationsand/or alterations may be made thereto without departing from the spiritof the invention.

It should also be understood that certain features of the invention,which are, for clarity, described in the context of separateembodiments, may be provided in combination in a single embodiment.Conversely, various features of the invention which are, for brevity,described in the context of a single embodiment, may also be providedseparately or in any appropriate sub-combinations.

What is claimed is:
 1. An eye fastener comprising: a base defining a base plane, and at least an eye extending from the base and defining a plane of opening, wherein the plane of opening is displaced relative to the base plane.
 2. The eye fastener as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plane of opening is connected to the base plane via a bent.
 3. The eye fastener as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plane of opening includes a first plane and a second plane displaced relative to the first plane.
 4. The eye fastener as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plane of opening is substantially perpendicular to the base plane.
 5. The eye fastener as claimed in claim 3, wherein the first plane is substantially perpendicular to the base plane.
 6. The eye fastener as claimed in claim 3, wherein the second plane is substantially parallel to the base plane.
 7. A tape including at least one eye fastener as claimed in claim
 1. 8. The tape as claimed in claim 7, further comprising a backing sheet and at least one layer of padding material on the backing sheet.
 9. The tape as claimed in claim 8, wherein the base of the eye fastener is between the backing sheet and the layer of padding material.
 10. The tape as claimed in claim 7, wherein the base plane of the eye fastener is substantially parallel to the backing sheet. 